By Azzam Bilal Chamdy 
The cryptocurrency landscape experienced a wave of significant developments as network upgrades, shifting mining dynamics, and major governance decisions reshaped expectations across the ecosystem. In the latest developments, Ethereum developers have chosen to postpone a crucial testnet fork due to emerging security concerns regarding proposed gas modifications. Simultaneously, the Bitcoin mining sector demonstrated unexpected resilience, pushing hashrate levels to a seven-month high despite a widespread industrial pivot toward artificial intelligence data centers. In layer-2 developments, Starknet community members voted overwhelmingly in favor of researching an independent, post-quantum future outside of the Ethereum ecosystem.
Ethereum delays Glamsterdam Hoodi testnet launch over security risks
Ethereum developers have officially postponed the anticipated Glamsterdam hard fork on the Hoodi testnet following cautionary alerts from blockchain security researchers. The delay was implemented after experts identified potential gas-related vulnerabilities that could fundamentally alter how existing smart contracts handle failed transactions, introducing unintended risks to decentralized applications operating on the network.
The Ethereum Foundation announced that the network upgrade, which had originally been scheduled to deploy on October 26, would be pushed back indefinitely. This pause gives core developers and researchers the necessary time to thoroughly investigate how specific improvement proposals interact with complex smart contracts already deployed in the wild.
The security concerns trace back to an advisory published on October 13 by prominent blockchain security firm ChainSecurity. The firm flagged two specific proposals included within the broader Glamsterdam upgrade package, designated as EIP-8037 and EIP-8038. According to the security analysis, these proposals could inadvertently weaken existing system safeguards against a specific vector known as insufficient gas griefing, potentially exposing users and protocols to operational disruptions.
This unexpected postponement introduces a notable layer of uncertainty regarding the mainnet deployment timeline for the Glamsterdam upgrade. Prior to the security advisory, Ethereum developers had been actively considering an early December launch for the mainnet, with final scheduling contingent upon a smooth and successful rollout on the Hoodi testnet. With the testnet phase now stalled for safety evaluations, the broader roadmap will likely experience a corresponding shift as the developer community works to address the identified vulnerabilities.
Bitcoin mining competition heats up despite AI exodus
Even as major publicly traded mining corporations continue to reallocate their substantial computing infrastructure toward artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, the broader Bitcoin network has defied expectations by driving network hashrate to a seven-month high, according to data from BlocksBridge Consulting.
The seven-day average hashrate for the Bitcoin network has successfully climbed back above the threshold of 1 zettahash per second for the first time since March 3. This robust metric indicates that the raw computing power leaving the network as traditional players pivot to AI is being actively absorbed, replaced, and surpassed by other network participants. Hashrate serves as the primary metric measuring the total computational power securing the Bitcoin network, while mining difficulty dynamically adjusts to maintain the target block production time, dictating how challenging it is for miners to discover new blocks and earn rewards.
Reflecting this intensifying competition, mining difficulty experienced a significant upward adjustment of 5.92% on October 16. Furthermore, analytics from BlocksBridge project an additional 5.16% difficulty increase during the subsequent adjustment cycle. Combined, these successive adjustments represent a cumulative upward shift of approximately 11.4% across a short timeframe, creating a considerably more challenging operational environment for miners seeking to secure block rewards.
This heightened difficulty and surging hashrate arrive against the backdrop of a structural industry shift. Publicly traded mining firms have recently reported a collective 23% decline in realized hashrate as they intentionally redirect capital, energy resources, and hardware toward artificial intelligence data centers. Driven by lucrative market demands, these same firms saw their collective AI-related revenues surge by 52% quarter over quarter.
Industry estimates compiled by BlocksBridge suggest that approximately $1.5 billion worth of traditional mining equipment has been displaced by this corporate transition. However, rather than sitting idle, a portion of this hardware is finding new life in the hands of smaller, more agile mining operations. These smaller entities, often possessing access to localized or more affordable sources of electricity, are capitalizing on the equipment influx to expand their operational footprints while their larger institutional competitors chase opportunities in the artificial intelligence sector.
Starknet voters back research into life beyond Ethereum
In a landmark governance decision that could reshape its long-term architecture, the Starknet community has voted decisively to support formal research into transitioning the network into an independent, post-quantum layer-1 blockchain.
The non-binding governance proposal regarding a potential departure from Ethereum captured overwhelming support from the community. The community-wide poll, which ran for a duration of seven days, officially concluded on Thursday. The governance event drew approximately 3,200 participating votes, resulting in a resounding 93.52% of the total voting power casting ballots in favor of authorizing the exploratory research.
According to statements from StarkWare, this governance poll recorded the highest level of community participation in Starknet’s operational history. In the interest of neutrality, StarkWare leadership abstained from participating in the vote, deliberately leaving the strategic direction entirely up to the decentralized community of token holders.
The outcome of the vote empowers both StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation to officially commence formal research into the viability, architecture, and execution requirements of establishing an independent layer-1 network. However, any actual migration or architectural shift would require a separate, legally and technically binding governance vote in the future. For the foreseeable future, Starknet will continue to operate as an Ethereum layer-2 scaling network while the research phase unfolds.
Discussing the immediate next steps following the vote’s conclusion, StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson noted that foundational work on a dedicated whitepaper is already underway. The team intends to draft and release the initial documentation for broad public scrutiny and community review as early as November.
Basiran 
Siti Muinah 
Asep Darmawan